The Love Of Family
by Katie Katherine
Summary: Part of the How It Should Have Been series.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Love Of Family pt.1**_

It was a beautiful, cool, fall day. A good day to go hunting. Arthur and Merlin were out hunting. Merlin kept scaring the prey because he did not like hunting and had only went hunting a few times. In Ealdor Merlin would find animals and capture them to show his grandparents and mother.

"Merlin go catch the hawk." Arthur said quietly.

"No. It's a Merlin. The hawk mother named me after." Merlin complained.

"You still do that. So that means we can't catch a dear. Right."

"Yes. Don't get mad at me. It's just who I am. I was born liking animals and taking care of hurt animals."

"Yeah. I know. Be quiet."

"Ok. I'll try."

"Got a rabbit. Here Merlin. What is it? You look as if you see someone coming to attack."

"Arthur look behind you." Merlin panicked. Then 4 men attacked. They tried to kill Arthur but failed.

"Merlin go! Leave me! Try to get away!"Arthur yelled.

"No! Arthur! I'm staying! I will not leave!" Merlin yelled. Then someone hit Merlin near the chest with an arrow. Then Merlin got hit with a sword in the right ribs.

"Arthur. Help me. Ow. It hurts. I have to lie down." Merlin moaned.

"Run Merlin. Just run to safety, hide, and then rest. Now go. Ill join you when I can. Now go."Arthur yelled.

Merlin ran as fast as he could and one of the men followed him. "I have to rest but I can't or I'll die. I need help. Ow. My chest. I can't breathe. I need rest. I'm dying." Merlin thought. Merlin found a place to hide. He went in to the hole and tried not to move. He watched as the man ran past him. He got out when the man was gone and walked to find Arthur. Merlin found Arthur coming to him. Merlin collapsed when he got to Arthur. Arthur grabbed Merlin and helped him lie on his back. Merlin tried to keep his eyes open and talk but he was very weak from the arrow wound. At first when Merlin tried to speak he began to choke. Then blood came out of his mouth and he began to speak.

"Arthur help me. It hurts. Help me." Merlin moaned.

"Merlin I got you. Let gets you to a house and remove the arrow." Arthur said calmly.

"The arrow. I think it's poisoned. I can't breathe. I know where we are. Get me to Ealdor. I'll show you the way. First get me to the lake. It's only an half an hour away. Hurry. I don't have long before I collapse."

"Ok. Here. I'll help you walk. Stay with me. Where is it? Where's the lake?"

"Over to the left. Hurry!"Merlin groaned. Arthur helped Merlin walk over to the lake. They were nearly there then a group of serkets attack. Arthur was about to get stung.

"Arthur go. Ah! Arthur run. Come back when the serkets are gone. One got me on the chest. Now go." Merlin moaned.

He pushed Arthur out of the way. Then he got stung. Arthur did what Merlin said. He watched as Merlin got stung. He heard Merlin cry in pain. Merlin knew that he was going to die. Then Arthur found a crossbow and killed all 5 of the serkets. Then he ran to Merlin. He saw that Merlin had been stung on the forehead and right cheek. When Arthur held Merlin head he saw the color had drained out of Merlin's face. Arthur gently woke Merlin up. Merlin began to move but his eyes remand close.

"Merlin. Merlin wake up. Come on open your eyes." Arthur whispered. Merlin's eyes shuttered open. He look around and then he began to shiver. Merlin moved his body closer to Arthur because Merlin could feel the warmth of Arthur's body.

"Hey, Merlin, how do you feel? Come on, speak to me." Arthur whispered tearfully. He lifted Merlin and put his Merlin's head on his left shoulder and began rocking back and forth.

"Arthur, the serkets stung me. Oh….I'm….so….cold. Oh….man. Arthur….keep…me….close. My ….head. I'm…..so…cold. I'm…so…tired. So…tired. So…..cold. So…..weak. Oh, oh. Arthur…"Merlin shivered. Then he closed his eyes. Arthur knew that Merlin was going into a shock. Arthur wanted to give Merlin a blanket but he didn't have any. Arthur kept Merlin close and tried to keep his dying friend warm. Merlin got worse the more Arthur tried to help him.

"Merlin. Hey, look at me. That's it. Speak to me." Arthur panicked.

"Arthur. I see the lake. Get me there. I need water. Hurry. Please." Merlin groaned in pain. Then he closed his eyes to help him rest. When Arthur got to the lake Merlin was nearly unconscious. Arthur got the water bottle and filled it up.

"Merlin. Here drink it. Come on. Drink as much water as you can. Where's Ealdor?" Arthur whispered.

"Anne. Will. Over there. I can't…" Merlin strained. Then he was unconscious. Then Arthur looked and saw Will and Anne.

"Hey. I need help. My friend is very sick. He's very hot. He's near death. Help me please." Arthur cried.

"Merlin. Oh, no. What happened? He's so hot. He's in shock. The arrow you haven't removed it. You can't or he will bleed to death. But you can cut it. Hunith can remove it. Let's go." Anne said sadly. So they got to Ealdor an hour later. Merlin kept coughing on the way there. When they got to Ealdor Avalach came.

"Merlin. What happened? Who are you?" Avalach asked.

"I'm prince Arthur of Camelot. He's been stung by several serkets. He has a few other injuries but what he need is to get in bed before he wakes up. Where can he sleep?" Arthur asked sadly.

"This way." Avalach answered. They went into Hunith's house and laid Merlin in his bed.

"What happened? He is burning up. We need to get the arrow out. I need water, bandages and towel. Hurry." Hunith said quickly.

"I'll get that." Arthur said quickly. Hunith went to work removing the arrow.

"How is he?" Arthur asked sadly.

"He's lost a lot of blood. His wound that he got from the sword is in very bad condition. You may need to go get Gaius in the morning. His right arm and leg and ribs have a wound from where the serkets stung him. There's a serket's mark on his liver. At any rate he should be dead. You can go get Gaius in the morning."Hunith sighed. The next day Merlin kept getting worse his wounds got infected. His fever got worse. Then he began coughing up blood. Merlin woke up in a lot of pain. It was raining a lot so Arthur had to wait to get Gaius.

"Ow. Mother. Help me. Hold my hand and help me to be strong." Merlin strained.

"Hey it's ok. Just sleep. It's ok. There's someone here to see you." Hunith said quietly while holding Merlin's hand. Then Merlin saw his grandfather Avalach.

"Grandfather. Hey. What happened? Grandfather Hold me like you did when I was little."

"Ok. If it will make you feel better. How do you feel?"Avalach asked while holding Merlin. When Merlin was little Avalach would hold him to help him sleep. Avalach also held Merlin when he was upset. Briseis, Merlin's grandmother always helped Merlin learn because Merlin had a very hard time learning. That's part of the reason Merlin's cursed.

"Hot. So hot. Weak. Very weak. Tired. So very tired. My mouth taste like blood. Where's Arthur?"Merlin winced.

"He's talking to Will and Anne. He is going to get help tomorrow. Just rest. We need to keep you cool to help with your fever. Here some water. Sleep, Merlin. You're very hot. Rest." Hunith whispered. Then she went to get cold water for Merlin. Merlin closed his eyes as his grandfather held him and rubbed Merlin's cheek with the back of his hand. Half an hour later Merlin coughed up blood. He was very weak and in pain. He finally fell asleep. Avalach put Merlin's head on a pillow and put a cold and wet cloth on Merlin's forehead. Merlin was barely breathing. He was very tired because of what he was feeling. That night Merlin woke up crying because he was so sick.

"Hey. It's ok. Just calm down. Hey, look at me." Hunith whispered gently. She kept a cold cloth on her dying son's head. She removed it every few minutes and put it in cold water.

"Mother, Where are you? I can barely see. It hurts. I can't make it. I'm tired, sore, hot, weak, hungry, and thirsty. My whole body hurts so much. I can't sleep but I need to. Ow. Mother, help me. Hold my hand. Ah. Ow. My head hurts." Merlin cried and moaned.

"Shh. Shh. I'm here, my boy. Just rest. Breathe. Just breathe. Arthur's coming to see you. Arthur he's much worse."

"How long does he have?" Arthur asked quietly.

"Not long but with the love of family he will be ok till Gaius gets here. You can help him. I'll leave you 2 alone." Hunith sighed.

"Hey Merlin. How do you feel?"Arthur whispered calmly.

"So…weak…and…tired. I…can't…feel…my…leg. It…hurts…to…" Merlin moaned. Then he began coughing. It wasn't blood. It was just water. Hunith came and calmed Merlin down.

"Hey, Merlin rest. Shh. Sleep, my boy. It's ok my little Hawk. You're ok." Hunith whispered.

Finally Merlin got too tired and went to sleep. In the morning, Arthur went to get Gaius. Merlin slept for several hours that day. He nearly woke up a few times but went back to sleep when Hunith gently and quietly told him to sleep. It was noon and Merlin was still asleep. Hunith was cleaning after lunch and Merlin woke up.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Love Of Family pt. 2**_

"Mother?"Merlin groaned. Hunith went over to him and held his hand. She checked his fever and took a cool cloth and put it on his head.

"Hey, my little Hawk. I'm here. Just get some rest. How do you feel?"Hunith calmly whispered.

"Worse. Where's Arthur?"

"He went to get Gaius. Get some rest."

"Where's Will?"

"He's outside. I'll go get him."

"Ok."Merlin sighed. Hunith went out to find Will. She found him talking to Avalach.

"How is he?"Will asked sadly.

"He has hours left. Will he wants to see you. Hurry, he almost asleep." Hunith sighed sadly.

Will went to see Merlin. When he saw Merlin he sighed. Merlin was pale. Around his eyes were red and purple. Merlin's head injury was infected and was beginning to bleed. Merlin was nearly asleep. He tried to keep his eyes open but he was so weak that it was hard. Will sat next to his near death cousin.

"Hey, how do you feel?" Will asked sadly. Merlin looked at him.

"Weak, tired, thirst, hungry, hot, and in pain. I know that I'm about to die. I don't want to die. Please help me. Stay with me. Will please. Ow. My whole body hurts. I'm so…" Merlin cried painfully. Then he passed out. Will checked Merlin's pulse and saw that it was very slow and faint.

"Hunith he's almost dead. He's pulse is almost stopped." Will sadly admitted.

"Let me see. You're right. His pulse is very slow and faint. I will watch over him. Gaius will be here very soon." Hunith sadly replied. She watched Merlin for a few hours. She kept him cool. Merlin woke up a few minutes before Gaius got there.

"Mother, I'm scared. I don't want to die." Merlin cried. He knew that he was going to die.

"Hey, it's ok. I'm right here. Just sleep." Hunith calmly lied. She knew that Merlin was very close to death. Gaius came in and saw that Merlin was sick and pale and very hot.

"Gaius he has only a few hours maybe more or less. He's been very tired." Hunith whispered so that Merlin did not hear. Gaius went to Merlin and began checking him to see how sick Merlin was.

"Am I going to be all right, Gaius? Ow. Not there. Don't touch me there." Merlin cried sleepily.

"Yes you will. Now sleep. Drink this it will help with the pain." Gaius answered sternly.

"Ok."

Merlin drank the potion and was a lot calmer.

"I need a blanket, towel, bandages, a couple of bowels of water, needle, silk thread, and a small piece of cloth. Hurry, we must keep him cool. Then you need to leave so I can treat him. He is about to die if we don't hurry." Gaius ordered.

"I get that," Hunith replied quickly. Then Gaius went to work on Merlin's wound. Gaius made Merlin take the antidote quickly and all at once.

"That's horrible. Can I have water?" Merlin said distastefully.

"First drink this. All of it at once." Gaius said sternly. Merlin drank it and nearly vomited.

"Now go to sleep. You are weak, tired, and hot. You still have a fever. I don't think it will last for long. Arthur told me about what happened. You will be very cold soon because of the other sickness." Gaius ordered.

Merlin went to sleep a few minutes later. Gaius began treating Merlin's injuries. Merlin nearly woke up a few times but went back to sleep quickly because he was so tired. Finally Gaius finished. He put a cold cloth on Merlin's head. Then he put a wet blanket on Merlin to help cool the rest of his body. He went outside and found Hunith, Avalach, Will, and Arthur.

"How's Merlin?"Hunith asked sadly.

"He's sleeping. He will need a lot of rest. The rest of the worst is to come. When you think he was sleeping, it was not restful because his body was fighting the venom. When this is all over he will be very tired. He will begin to vomit a lot. His body will be trying to get the venom. He will be very cold once it happens. You may see him. He will wake up soon." Gaius sadly replied.

Hunith went to see Merlin. When she saw him she felt as if her heart dropped to her stomach. Merlin was pale and very sick still. There was blood around his mouth. Hunith sat next to Merlin and wiped the blood away. She watched her son sleep. She knew that there was worse to come. Half an hour later Merlin began panicking. He moved restlessly. Hunith grabbed Merlin's hand and squeezed it. Then Merlin screamed.

"Hey, Merlin you're ok. You are fine. Shh. Rest. Don't talk. Just sleep. Shh. You're ok. I'm here." Hunith whispered calmly and hugged her son.

"Mother, I'm scared. I'm so scared. Help me mother. Please." Merlin cried.

"Shh. Shh. It's ok. You'll be ok, my little Hawk. Go back to sleep."

They cried on each other's shoulders. Hunith rocked Merlin as a mother would rock her little son. Merlin began to pull away several minutes later.

"What is it, my little Hawk?" Hunith asked.

"I feel like I'm about to vomit. My throat hurts. My mouth is beginning to taste like blood and other stuff. Mother hold my hand. Please. I'm scared. I'm going to die." Merlin cried.

"No you're not. Let it out if you're afraid. Come on. Let it out. That's it. Come on."

Merlin began to vomit on the wet blanket. Hunith pulled it away and Merlin vomited on his pants. When he was done he began shivering. He coughed up a lot of blood. Hunith took the cloth that was on Merlin's head and wiped the blood of Merlin's face. For a whole day Merlin didn't sleep. He was very weak from blood and food that came out of his system. He didn't talk fearing that he would start coughing or vomiting. The next day it was nearly night time and Merlin began to speak.

"Mother, where is Arthur? Where is he?" Merlin asked. Avalach went over to Merlin and began to hold him.

"Hey, your mother's sleeping. Just rest. Arthur is coming to see you. Just rest you are weak and tired." Avalach whispered.

"I need to see him. Please. I feel like I'm about to die."

"You are not going to die."

"I can barely see. The room is spinning. Ow, my head."

"Close your eyes and go to sleep. You might vomit from being dizzy. Your head will hurt when you wake up."

"Ok. I feel a bit better."

"Hey Merlin. What do you want?" Arthur whispered.

"I just want you to stay with me. Oh, no. I about to vomit. Stay with me. Please. I feel so sick." Merlin cried.

Then he vomited on the blankets. A little bit of blood came out but it was mainly food and water and medicine that was in his system. He vomited 3 times then he began to cry on Avalach's shoulder. Avalach hugged Merlin very close and began to shush Merlin. Arthur took the blanket and went to get it washed. Merlin felt so cold that he wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep knowing that he would be ok.

"Merlin, you are ok. It's ok. You are going to be all right. Just go to sleep." Avalach admitted.

"I don't want to go to sleep. I'm not going to be all right. I'm so scared to sleep or die." Merlin cried.

Merlin was on top of Avalach. Merlin's legs were on the bed bent. Merlin's arms were crossed over his chest. His head is on his grandfather's chest. His grandfather had his arms wrapped around Merlin keeping him warm and comforting him. Arthur came back with a few blankets. He and Avalach covered a crying, cold, and scared Merlin. Merlin grabbed the blankets and put them over his shoulders. Merlin got as close as he could to Avalach.

"Oh, you are very cold. How do you feel?" Avalach yelped.

"Like I've felt for the past few days. Hold me till I fall asleep." Merlin moaned.

"Ok. Get some sleep. You will feel a bit better when you wake up."

"Ok. Can I have some water?"  
"Here, drink what you can. Gaius put a sleeping draft in it when he went to get you more. You really need to sleep."

"All right. Here, I'm done drink the water. I need another blanket. Please."

"Here, 2 blankets. Just in case." Arthur whispered.

"Thanks Arthur." Merlin replied. Half an hour later Merlin fell asleep. He slept for a day.

"Hey, Merlin. How do you feel?" Avalach asked.

"A lot better. Can I have something to eat?"Merlin moaned sleepily.

"Ok. I'll get you something to eat. Just rest. You can get up if you want."

"Ok. I'll try to get up. Oh, my legs."

"Here, let me help you."

"No, I'm ok."Merlin answered.

Merlin went to the table and sat next to Arthur. Avalach had just served breakfast when Hunith woke up. She got up and saw Merlin eating his breakfast and talking to Arthur, Anne, Will, Gaius, and Avalach.

"Someone feeling better. Good morning Merlin. How do you feel?" Hunith said happily. She kissed Merlin on the cheek.

"Much better. I don't feel sick anymore!" Merlin exclaimed.

"Good. What are you guys talking about?"

"Some of the things we did when we were kids."

"Oh, like the time you scared Dinias in the caves?"

"Wait, what? Merlin tell us that story." Arthur shouted.

"I was playing in the caves with my cousins and so I climbed into this hole. Dinias came passed and I grabbed his leg. He screamed like a little girl. He pulled me out and began hurting me. Then a very small puppy comes and scares Dinias. Dinias ran away from the puppy screaming. I picked the puppy up and I brought it home. Its leg was wounded. Mother and grandmother took care of it." Merlin laughed.

"How old were you? What happened to the dog?"

"He was 3. He kept the dog. He played with it and slept with it. He loved that dog. He named the dog Seth. When he was 14 the dog died protecting him. A venomous snake got in the house and Seth killed it but got bitten. He died the next day. Merlin cried." Hunith explained.

"I wish I had a dog in Camelot. Then I would get to have fun caring for one." Merlin sighed.

When they were done with breakfast Merlin, Will, Anne, and Arthur went out in the woods to play. They played in the caves near Ealdor. They scared each other by hiding.

"Ok. Where's Merlin? Will do you know?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know." Will replied.

"Hey guys." Merlin yelled from one of the holes. Both the boys yelled. Merlin came out from a hole laughing.

"You should have seen the look on your faces." Merlin laughed. In the afternoon they went home. On the way home they found a tiny puppy.

"Hey, guys look. It's a puppy. It's wounded. Wait let me go get it." Merlin said with sympathy. He picked up the puppy and ran after the others. When they got home Merlin took care of it.

"Mother, can I take it to Camelot?" Merlin asked.

"What is her name? It is a girl."

"Anna."

"It's was born only a few weeks ago and it's smaller than other puppies at that age."

"Yeah but I'll take care of it. Please, mother."

"Ok. I know why and I know that you can do it." Hunith agreed.

"Thanks." Merlin sighed. He looked at the small, brown and white puppy and knew that he was going to like taking care of it. The next day Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, and the new puppy Anna went home. This is where The Labyrinth of Gedref begins.


End file.
